There’s nothing more exciting then meeting with an architect or some other type of designer to create your dream house. Others have found what they wanted by looking through a home design book/catalog or by searching the Internet. Regardless of the process used, the goal is to find the floor plan and design that fulfills your dream.
This is a critical step that can determine not only the cost of your new home but also your chances for a successful building project. The first thing to be aware of is that with custom home designs you get what you pay for. Whether your dream house is $250,000 or $2,500,000 the design process is the same and it’s the starting point for what will be the largest investment in your life. The drawings for your custom home are going to cost you money whether you buy them from an architect, a draftsman, a catalog, or a builder.
The first thing you will need to know before you start with your floor plans and design is the general cost per square foot (SF) for homes in your area to help you “design a house you can afford.” If your budget is $750,000 and the cost is $125 per SF then you the house will be approximately 6,000.00 SF. Now you can seriously look at floor plans and the style or exterior design of your new home. Some of the things to consider is whether your house will be a two story, tri-level, split foyer, or ranch. Will it be colonial, traditional, modern, Spanish, English cottage, salt box, or Georgian?
Before you go too far with your design have you considered where you’re going to build your new home? Have you found a neighborhood, development, or lot on which you are going to build your house? Does your house fit on the lot or in the neighborhood in which you intend to build?
Once you’ve completed all of the preliminary research and work necessary to finalize your house plans, you need to determine if you are providing enough information in your drawings to get a quality bid from a builder or contractor. Do the drawings show enough detail that the bidders aren’t “guessing” or hiding allowances in their bids to cover themselves should they get the project?
If you start your new house project correctly at the beginning it provides you an opportunity to have a successful project at the end. Let Prairies States Inc help you make these critical decisions and help you make your new home a successful project.
